How can we ensure healthy light where natural sunlight has no chance to penetrate? At the Brno branch of Thermo Fisher Scientific, they found the answer — by installing Spectrasol pro-cognitive LED lighting. The project, which started as an experiment in one office, expanded to the entire complex thanks to positive results. How the cooperation went and what its results are was revealed in the interview by Petr Střelec, director of the Brno branch of the global leader in products and services for science and research.
Watch a short teaser:
Searching for the optimal solution
The main motivation for Petr Střelec was the effort to do everything possible for the health of employees, supported by scientific findings about the essential effects of natural daylight on the human body: “In our clean production spaces, where nearly a thousand people work, it is not possible to provide daylight, and that’s why we decided to install pro-cognitive lighting. Light affects the human body, circadian rhythm, and we all know how strongly monitors and phones affect our eyes.”
To be sure of the right choice, Petr Střelec decided to first try out various options himself. Spectrasol lights and competing products were installed in his office.
“I didn’t want to give people something I hadn’t tried myself. That’s why we started with installation in my office. In the end, I chose Spectrasol because I didn’t see a better solution.” As a physicist, he even measured the luminaires using a spectrometer and determined a clear winner.
The initial barrier in the form of a high price was overcome: Spectrasol developed tailor-made so-called retrofit modules. This is a solution where entire lights are not replaced, but instead of fluorescent tubes, full-spectrum LED modules are inserted. This results in maximally efficient, quick, and gentle installation.
A fast, ecological, and economical path to health
Based on his own experience, Director Střelec decided to install the lighting in part of the offices and in the main production areas. And even after a year, he doesn’t regret his decision: “(The light) is pleasant for me, I work better and am more alert. And even my thirty-year-old fern likes this light, it grows better.”
According to the client, the chosen solution brought three main benefits:
- Reduced environmental burden: retrofits save a large amount of material.
- Lower costs: Quick installation allowed faster return of spaces to operation and lower costs.
- Positive effect on employee health: support for proper circadian rhythm, better health, sleep, concentration, and overall vitality.
To ensure that employees were not influenced in any way, the new lighting was installed “secretly,” says Petr Střelec, and he shares an interesting observation: “For example, a colleague who suffers from migraines and usually dims the light doesn’t complain about your light, even though it’s bright. She even says it doesn’t give her a headache.”
The success of the cooperation is also confirmed by the fact that another installation will soon begin in a new Thermo Fisher building.
Healthy light = an important company benefit
The example from Brno confirms that the installation of pro-cognitive lighting leads to improved working conditions and employee satisfaction. However, even though the health benefits of light are scientifically and practically proven, a national standard for their application is still missing. It is therefore great that customers, even “without regulation,” increasingly see light hygiene as an important way to care for their employees’ health. Quality lighting thus becomes an important employee benefit — perhaps even more important than a Multisport card or a yearly health day.
You can find the full video interview with Petr Střelec here:
Get to know the principle of pro-cognitive lighting in a short video animation:
See more photos of the installation here:
Translated using AI
